For what else hath a man, of all the labor that he taketh under the Sun?

The Sun ariseth, the sun goeth down, and returneth to his place, that he may there rise up again.

All things are so hard, that no man can express them. The eye is not satisfied with sight; the ear is not filled with hearing.

That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun.

Is there anything, whereof it may be said, "Lo, this is new?" For it was long ago in the times that have been before us.

There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards.

And I applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of wisdom and knowledge.

And I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind.

For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

Then said I thus in my heart, "Now go to, I will take mine ease and have good days." But lo, that was vanity also:

insomuch that I said unto laughter, "Thou art mad," and to mirth, "What doest thou?"

I searched in my heart how to cherish my flesh with wine, while practising my heart with wisdom; and how to lay hold on folly, till I should see what was that good for the children of men which they should do under the heavens all the days of their life.

I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:

I acquired servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that had been in Jerusalem before me.

I gathered me also silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I gat me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

And I became great, and increased more than all that had been before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that it had cost me to do them; and behold, all was vanity and pursuit of the wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly; for what shall the man do that cometh after the king? that which hath already been done.

And I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as light excelleth darkness.

The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness; but I myself also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.

And I said in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool so will it happen even to me; and why was I then so wise? Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.

For there shall be no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; because everything is already forgotten in the days which come. And how dieth the wise even as the fool?

And I hated life; for the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

And I hated all my labour wherewith I had been toiling under the sun, because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose.

And I turned round to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour that I laboured at under the sun.

For there is a man whose labour hath been with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill, and who leaveth it to a man that hath not laboured therein, to be his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

For what getteth a man of all the labor and travail of his mind, that he taketh under the Sun,

but heaviness, sorrow and disquietness all the days of his life? Insomuch that his heart cannot rest in the night. Is not this also a vain thing?

There is nothing good for man, but that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

For who can eat, or who be eager, more than I?

For he giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth travail to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good in God's sight. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

Every thing hath a time; yea, all that is under the heaven, hath his convenient season.

A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

What profit hath he that worketh from that wherein he laboureth?

I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of men to toil in.

He hath made everything beautiful in its time; also he hath set the world in their heart, so that man findeth not out from the beginning to the end the work that God doeth.

I know that there is nothing good for them but to rejoice and to do well in their life;

yea also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labour, it is the gift of God.

I know that whatever God doeth, it shall be for ever; there is nothing to be added to it, nor anything to be taken from it; and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

That which is was long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God bringeth back again that which is past.

And moreover I saw under the sun, that in the place of judgment, wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there.

I said in my heart, It is thus with the children of men, that God may prove them, and that they should see that they themselves are but beasts.

For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; and man hath no preeminence above the beasts: for all is vanity.

Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth?

And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

And I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors was power, and they had no comforter.

Then I praised the dead who are already dead more than the living who are yet alive;

and more fortunate than both is he who hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

And I saw all labour, and all success of work, that it is man's jealousy of his neighbour. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

Better is a handful with quietness, than both hands full with labour and pursuit of the wind.

Then I turned to re-examine something else that is pointless on earth:

There is one that is alone, and he hath not a second; yea, he hath neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with riches. For whom then,'saith he , do I labor, and deprive my soul of good? This also is vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and who hath not another to lift him up!

And if a man prevail against him that is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Better is a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth no more how to be admonished.

For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.

I saw all the living that walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the second, that stood up in his stead.

There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.

When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou vowest.

It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

And why? Whereas are many dreams and many words, there are also divers vanities: but look that thou fear God.

If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there are higher than they.

The whole land also with the fields and all that is therein, is in subjection and bondage unto the king.

He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.

When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, save the beholding of them with his eyes?

A labouring man sleepeth sweetly, whether it be little or much that he eateth; but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

Yet is there a sore plague, which I have seen under the sun: namely, riches kept to the hurt of him that hath them in possession.

And that wealth hath been lost in an evil business, and he hath begotten a son and there is nothing in his hand!

As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand.

And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he laboreth for the wind?

Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, wherein he laboreth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this is his portion.

Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and power to eat thereof, and to take his portion and to rejoice in his labour: that is a gift of God.

There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it is great on man:

a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction.

If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, “Better the miscarriage than he,

It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it is better off than he.

Even though one hath lived a thousand years twice told, yet, good, hath he not seen, - is it not, unto one place, that, all, are going?

All the labour that man taketh is for himself, and yet his desire is never filled after his mind.

For what advantage hath the wise more than the fool? or what hath the poor man, that knoweth how to walk before the living?

What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind.

Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is.

Seeing there are many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?

For who knows what is good for man in life, in the few days of his futile life that he spends like a shadow? Who can tell man what will happen after him under the sun?

A good name is better than a good ointment,
And the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.

It is better to go to a house of mourning
Than to go to a house of feasting,
Because that is the end of every man,
And the living takes it to heart.

Sorrow is better than laughter,
For when a face is sad a heart may be happy.

It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man
Than for one to listen to the song of fools.

For the laughing of fools is like the crackling of thorns under a pot. And that is but a vain thing.

The end of a matter is better than its beginning;
Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit.

Do not say, “Why is it that the former days were better than these?”
For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.

Wisdom is as good as an inheritance; yea, more excellent is it for them that see the sun.

For wisdom is protection just as money is protection,
But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors.